The Neighbor’s Secret by L. Allison Heller
Here it is….my first book review of the New Year.
(I actually finished two books this morning so I have another one to type up right after this one.)
Yall might be sitting there thinking “It’s only JANUARY 3rd, girl. How did you already finish TWO BOOKS?”
Do not be too impressed, everyone.
To be clear, I actually *started* reading both these books at the tail end of 2021….and I have been battling my evil nemesis Anxiety Insomnia the past few nights again (this bitch just pops up OUTTA NOWHERE sometimes yall and I have NO FRIGGIN IDEA where she is coming from either 😑).
The only positive side to not being able to sleep is finishing books.
Although…
I have had quite the revelation in regards to my nighttime reading selections.
This book and the other nonfiction book I was reading are both VERY intense books.
Both for VERY different reasons…but both VERY intense and dealing with super heavy and emotional subject matter.
I think I have realized that those kind of books must only be read during designated “non sleepy time” hours.
Because I think it can REALLY fire up my anxiety without me even being conscious of it.
Heading into 2022 one of my reading goals is to NOT do intense books *right* before bed OR when I am having trouble sleeping.
(We’ll see if it sticks 😬)
So…okay….here I am reading ANOTHER thriller book.
I told yall last year that I have expanded my literary horizons and have started reading this type little more often.
I still won’t do ones that are hella scary or violent, though….That would still be a NO FUCKING WAY for me with books about serial killers or haunted houses or anything…but I have dug into ones that are more on the thriller/mystery and even psychological thriller side.
IDK if I can keep doing this to myself, yall 🤣
Here is the official summary for this book:
“How well do you really know your neighbors?
With its sprawling yards and excellent schools, Cottonwood Estates is the perfect place to raise children. The Cottonwood Book Club serves as the subdivision’s eyes and ears, meeting once a month for discussion, gossip, and cocktails. If their selections trend toward twisty thrillers and salacious murder mysteries, it’s only because the members feel secure that such evil has no place in their own cul-de-sacs.
Or does it?
What happened to Lena’s family fifteen years ago was a tragic accident, and she will never admit otherwise. Devoted wife and mother Annie refuses to acknowledge―even to herself―the weight of a past shame. And new resident Jen wants friends, but as always, worry about her troubled son gets in the way.
When late-night acts of vandalism target the women of the book club in increasingly violent and personal ways, they will be forced to decide how far to go to keep their secrets. At least they all agree on what’s most important: protecting their children at any cost―even if it means someone has to die.”
If you are a fan of Liane Moriraty’s books, then you will definitely want to pick this one up.
TOTALLY had her kind of storytelling vibes.
In fact, I felt like I was reading one of her books the whole time!
The characters, the setting, the multiple mysterious plotlines…..
All was very “Big Little Lies” -esque.
Like every good thriller does, EVERY character has some kind of secret they are keeping well hidden…and things are slllowwwlllly revealed as you turn each page.
And, also like every good thriller does, you are CONSTANTLY figuring things out….only to have to refigure them out a few chapters later when you’re suprised with more dramatic revelations.
The author—just like Liane Moriraty—-creates a fantastic buildup of tension that leads to quite a shocking finish….ALTHOUGH there *were* a few things I figured out early and saw coming before I was “supposed” to.
(Ugh…I feel like I ALWAYS DO THAT and it drives me CRAZY!)
LOTS of deep, complex issues swirling around the “surface” problems in the book…. things like struggling to find proper diagnosis and treatment for a child who is struggling, being married to an alcoholic, learning how to keep your own identity and not get lost in familial roles, and how to deal with feelings of shame, guilt and inadequacy.
And yallllllll…….the author REALLY nails the dynamics of predominantly white, middle class suburban neighborhood women too….like OMG….
The self righteousness. The blindness to privilege. The microagressions. The exclusivity. The cattiness. The fake niceties.
SO SO SO ACCURATE.
Because I have LIVED THIS, yall.
I swear I have heard or seen some of the neighborhood book club’s exact conversations IN REAL LIFE. Less than delightful, I assure you.
But…. the author also paints an accurate picture of the other side of the suburban coin too.
The community. The support. The friends who become family. The encouragement. The care taking.
I have personally benefitted from these types of things as well while living in suburban communities over the years.
It can be a very complicated dynamic…right when you think you have it allll clearly figured out one way, you realize you don’t in the slightest….
Which was the theme for the whole story.
What better place for something sinister to happen than the “protected” and “safe” streets of a “calm” homogenous suburb?
Nothing is EVER as it seems.
This book was fast read (even if I didn’t read it in only 3 days) and I really could NOT put it down.
But did I enjoy it???
IDK.
I guess so?
It was a well written book that completely pulls you in….
But I think I just needed something else OTHER than a thriller type of book right now…maybe something a little lighter.
If thrillers are your thing, you will LOVE this book.
Definitely one my old book club back in Missouri would have a GREAT time with! (if you ladies end up reading it, let me know! 😄 BTW I miss yall GREATLY and yall are WAAAYYY better than the book club in THIS book! LOL)